1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to evaporative coolers and, more particularly, to evaporative coolers designed for use with windows.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Evaporative coolers of the prior art are generally of two primary types. The first type is relatively large, generally at rectangular (cube) configuration adapted to be disposed on the top of a house or other structure. The cooler includes an opening in the bottom, and air drawn into the housing through water soaked pads is forced downwardly through the opening in the bottom of the cooler housing. This type of cooler is typically known as a downdraft type evaporative cooler. In this downdraft type of evaporative cooler, the pads are generally located on all four sides of the cooler apparatus. A blower within the housing draws air through the water soaked pads and forces it downwardly through the bottom of the cooler and into an appropriate duct system or simply into the interior of the structure.
Recent developments in the field of evaporative coolers have led to the design of cylindrical cooler housings, which are commonly known as round evaporative coolers. In such coolers, the generally square configuration of the prior art designs is eliminated by a single cylinder, with pads disposed about the entire periphery of the cylinder. The circular or cylindrical housing includes an opening in the bottom through which the air drawn through the water saturated pads is forced out of the cooler and into a duct system or into the interior of a structure.
The second general type of evaporative cooler is a side draft type of cooler. The side draft type of cooler is generally of a rectangular (square) configuration having pads only on three sides. The fourth side is open. The side draft cooler causes air to be drawn into the evaporative cooler housing through the pads on the three sides and the air drawn into the cooler housing is forced out the fourth side. The fourth side is appropriately connected with duct work, or the like.
The side draft evaporative cooler is designed to be secured to the side of a structure, rather than on the top of the structure. The side draft type evaporative cooler may be connected to the side of a building or house through an appropriate hole or aperture in a house or structure or it may be connected to a window on the side of such structure. Regardless of how the side draft cooling apparatus is connected to a structure, the apparatus itself is rather inflexible in that it must be disposed against a mating hole or aperture (window) which receives the flow of air. While it may vary in size, it is still basically a rectangular, box-like structure or housing with one side open. Evaporatively cooled air is delivered through the fourth, open side. If there is a pre-existing hole or aperture in the side of a wall, and the hole or aperture fits a particular size of an evaporative cooler, then very little adaptation may have to be made in order to mate the cooler to the aperture or hole. However, this is generally the exception rather than the rule.
While an evaporative cooler may be made in several different sizes, the size of a cooler is generally not the same as any particular window that the cooler will mate with. Accordingly, a window usually needs to be adapted to receive the cooler. Generally this entails an interface of some type between the window and the evaporative cooler.
As is well known and understood, there are many different sizes of windows in contemporary use. The type of window one may find may vary from house (building), structure, etc. to building, perhaps depending on the age of such building. For example, in homes or buildings generally built prior to the late 1940's or early 1950's, double-hung (sash) windows are generally used in most homes. Beginning in the late 1940's and early 1950's, and in use for many years thereafter, casement type windows were popular. These windows were characterized by at least a single fixed panel and a single movable panel, the movable panel being pivoted at one side and pivotable by means of a crank. The casement type windows were generally relatively long or tall, or longer (taller) than their width. The relatively narrow width allowed them to be opened and closed more readily with a pivoting, cranking operation. The relatively high or long dimension, coupled with the relatively narrow width, still provided a substantial opening in terms of square feet for air movement purposes.
The next type of window to be used relatively extensively is the sliding window. In this type of window, a framed window pane simply slides laterally from a closed position to an open position. There is a lock of some type at one side of the window, and, when the lock is released, the window pane slides laterally. An advantage of the sliding window is that it may be made of virtually any size, from a very small, square window to a relatively large, either square or elongated rectangular window.
With sliding windows, due to the relatively large number of sizes employed, a substantial adaptation is required in mating a side draft evaporative cooler to a particular window. However, the removal of a sliding window to allow for a side draft evaporative cooler to be installed is generally less of a problem than the removal of a casement type window. Similarly, the employment of a double-hung or sash-type window is also easier to adapt to an evaporative cooler than is the casement type window which pivots inwardly and outwardly.
If a window is not to be used or adapted to receive a side draft cooler, then a mating hole or aperture must be made through a wall. The hole or aperture may allow the cooler to interface with a duct system or to direct its air flow into the open interior of the structure.
As is well known and understood, the cooling capacity of an evaporative cooler depends on the size of the cooler, with size generally referring to the cubic feet of air which may be moved through the cooler and through its cooling pad area. If a cooler is too large for the room (volume) which it is mated with, the resulting effect on the room, and on the people within the room, will be an extremely humid room, and thus cold, clammy people within the room. On the other hand, if the cooling capacity is not great enough, the result will be a hot room, with very little benefit derived from the lack of cooling capacity of the evaporative cooler.
Evaporative coolers are not considered to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It is accordingly desirable to have them out of sight as much as possible. Moreover, for evaporative coolers that are disposed in windows, the windows are generally substantially blocked to the passage of light, and this is not generally desirable.
In contemporary times, with the high cost of energy, the appropriate mating of an evaporative cooler to an area to be cooled is relatively important both from the standpoint of the people within the area to be cooled and also from the cost effectiveness point of view. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that a cooler be mated appropriately with both the area (volume) to be cooled and with the opening through which air will be directed into the structure. For purposes of the present invention, a side draft evaporative cooler for a window is considered for the purpose of cooling a particular room. Accordingly, the adaptation of the room-sized evaporative cooler with a particular window opening and a room is of interest in cost, efficiency, etc. The installation of evaporative coolers is one consideration, and the cooling ability of the cooler with respect to the room (volume) to be cooled is a second consideration.
The apparatus of the present invention is both easy to install and readily adaptable to various sized windows for providing cooling for rooms of various sizes. The apparatus of the present invention is also adaptable to different orientations by rotating a portion of the apparatus. This feature also lends itself to "hiding" a portion of the apparatus from view within the structure and also leaves part of the window open for viewing.